Method and machine for making sanitary napkins



Aug. 13, 1935. 2,010,997

A METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SANITARY NAPKINS v A. P. JURGENSEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17, .1953

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Allg- 1935- A. JURGENSEN 2,010,997

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SANITARY NAPKINS Filed June 17, 1933 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 v t 1 6R? 1 fi =2 L A l \l\ 1 0 24 I .39 23 H Fink i9 gmmtoz 5f (AL/95226612,

Patented Aug. 13, 1935 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR SANITARY 1 NAPKINS August P..Jurgensen, AtlanticCity, N. I

to The De Long Hook and. Eye Company, acor partition of Pennsylvania L 3 Application June 17', 1933, Serial 10 Claims. (01. 223-1 This invention relates to the art of making sanitarynapkinspand involves improvements in the method and means for making sanitary napkins and similar articles wherein pads of absorb- T, ent material are severed from a strip of absorbent material which is preferably fed intermittently to the severing means, and thegsevered pads are transferred to and deposited at intervals upon a strip of gauze'which is subsequently folded about the spaced pads and severed between adjacent pads. One of the principal objects of the invention is the simplification of both the method and the mechanism for making sanitary pads in this manner. Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved method and improved means whereby the operation of severing the pads from the strip of absorbent material is utilized to transfer the severed pads into a position such that they maybe deposited upon thestrip of gauze by the next subsequent operation of the severing and transferring means. Afurther ob ject of the invention is the provision of an improved method and improved means whereby the operation of severing the pads. from the strip of,

absorbent material delivers the severed pads to a position of rest above the strip of gauze wherebyth epad in the position of rest is released upon the next subsequent operation of the pad severingand transferring means, thereby insuring the proper spacing of the pads upon the gauze and producing a uniform product. It is a still'fur'ther object of the invention to provide improved means for stripping the previously severed pad from the 53 severing and transferring means.

Other objects and advantages of the 'improve-. ments will be. apparent from the following description, taken with the accompanying drawings wherein: a l Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a preferred form of means for severing absorbent pads .from an intermittently advanced strip of continuouslyfed strip I i i .Fig. 2 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view absorbent material and delivering-thesame to a.

of gauze;

taken longitudinally of the strip of gauze, on the line "2-4 of Fi 1; i r Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view i'gtaken longitudinally of the strip of absorbent material, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

.Fig; 4 is a still further enlarged, vertical sectional view similar to Fig.3. but showing the pad severing and transferring means in its lowermost iposition;

Fig.5 is a sectional view similar to Fig l, show .ing the operation of the stripping meansy; r

Fig. 6 is a horizontalsectional view fa porition of the machine in Fig. 1, showing the man- F ner in which an elongated pad is severed from the forward end of the strip of absorbent'mae terialiand U Fig. 7 is a perspective, view of a sanitary napf- .kinmade by the improved method andthe im=' proved means disclosed herein.

. The novel method "herei described is prefer; ably carried out by means of mechanism' sup ported: upon a frame 10. A bed plate ll is sup ported upon the. frame 10 and forms atablegfor the strip of gauze I2 inits movementthrough the machine. The bed plateLll carries a pair of oppositely arranged guide members [3 spaced from each other to provide a channel or trough l4 for the strip of gauze l2. The strip of gauze is preferably fedkthrough thev channel I"4"byjmeans ofa continuously driven feed b'elt l 5 thejl per run' of which' is carried by the bed platel lj and has its edges engaged within undercut channels Hiinthe inner edges of theguide membersl One end of thefeed belt passes aboutja roller l1 carried by a shaft l 8, andthe belt is continuously. driven by any suitable mechanism, the disclosure. of which is unnecessary herein.

superposed. upon the bed plate be moved. intermittently in order to provide an.

intermittentfeed .for the strip of absorbent ma-,

terial 20. The particular mechanism by which this feed is secured is not material to the present improvements and is therefore not disclosed herein. l p

In the path of movement ofthe strip ofabsorbent material an elongated opening 23'is provided in the upper bedplate .19 in verticalj alinement with the gauze channel 3.. A cutting die zlis secured in the upper end of this opening of two pairs of bars 29 mounted for sliding moveis aton'd bed plate l9 over which the forward end of a .strip of absorbent material 20 is advanced, preferably by means of a pair of feed belts. 2l,. 22 as shown in Fig. 3. These feed'belts are arrangedto A cooperating cutting punch "26 is. secured by means of bolts 2] or otherwise to] a. supporting plate 28 carried upon the upper} ends.

ment in suitable openings in thesuperposed bed plates II and I9 heretofore referred to. The. 16w;

er ends of the bars 29'have mounted thereon a 'crosshead 30 from which a connecting rod The intermittent feed for the strip of absorbent material 20 is so timed as to advancethe strip at each forward movement thereof a distance equal to the width of the opening '25 in the The length of? the opening 'severed'pads in a position of rest between the sever'ing positionflahd the moving strip of gauze insureS'that the pads will be delivered to the gauze cutting die 24.

in the cutting die is preferably equal to the width of the strip of absorbent material 20, this width ordinarily constituting the length of the. absorbent pads severed from the strip. It will be apparent, therefore, that each intermittent move ment of the strip of absorbent material advances the forward end of the strip a distance equal to the width'of each pad and into a position. over lying the opening in the cutting die. The parts of the machineare so timed that during the interval when the strip of absorbent material isat rest the cutting punch 26 is moved downwardly by means of the connecting. rod 31, thereby severing the forward .end'of the-strip of absorbent material to provide an absorbent'pad 32.

.As disclosed herein, the cutting-punches. is provided with parallel side cutting edges 33 and parallel end cutting, edges 34', with the corners thereof removed as clearly shown at 35 in Fig. 6, and the opening 25 in the cutting die is-.shaped to accord therewith. .Inv the operation of the cooperating parts' of the die cutting mechanism in severing a pad 3-2'from the forward end of the strip of absorbent material .20 severing action takes place along only one'of' the parallel side edges of the pad, although,-as will be clearifrom bed .plate l9 to be pushed forwardly thereover by invention and is not disclosed. herein.

As shown in Figs. 2' andv 3, the cutting Ipfunch.

' ing-ZS in the cutting the When the cutting punch the showing inF'igl 6,;thedownward' movement of the cutting punch operates to seve'r' the two triangularcorners 36 at each operation. of the die. These corners may. remain upon the the. subsequent movements of thestrip 28,. or they may be removed from the machine. inany suitable manner, and the provision offme an's for-their removal forms no part of the present 26 is in. itsra'ised position andthe strip of i ab sorbent material'has been advanced so that the forward end thereof is inposition over. the open moves downwardly to sever the forward lend'of the strip of absorbent material'to form" an ab s'orbent pad, it continues its movement beyond the severing position to thereby carry the severed pad 32 downwardly through the opening inthe.

cutting die, as shown in Fig. 4. In order to. prevent the severed pad from dropping freely through the opening 23 in the bedplate i9 ontothecontinuously moving strip of gauze, itfispref'erable to, provide some means for bringing the previously severe'd pad to a position'of rest so as toinsure that the pads will be deposited at proper intervals upon the continuously moving strip of gauze. For the purpose of accomplishinggthis, a pair of" fiat springs .3! is provided in the opposite side walls of the opening 23 through the bed plate, be-

low the cutting die. The lower ends of the springs 31 are supportedv upon shoulders 33 formedin the side walls of the opening through'the bed thereby, the pad retained in position between the springs 3] will be forced therefrom and thus be free to drop upon the moving strip of gauze. The provision of means for retaining the individually the pads to adhere to the punch, while othersdrop freely therefrom upon being severed, thus producing an unequal spacing of the pads upon the strip of gauze. By this method, and by the means shown herein, it is apparent that there will be no noticeable variation in the ends it! of the folded gauze which extend beyond the enfolded -pad, as shown in Fig. '7. g

In order to prevent a previously severed {pad from adhering to the cutting punch 26, means is-provided for stripping the pads from thelower face thereof following the severing operation. This means comprises a rod 42 slidably mounted in alined openings through the supporting plate 28 and the cutting punch 25, and having an enlarged head 33. on the lower end thereof for engagementwithin a countersink :44 in the upper walliof thecuttingpunch. The stripperdevice and the cutting punch are so designed and so timed in their operation that the stripper preferably moves downwardly with the cutting punch, and when the cutting punch begins its upward move-. ment the stripper head has moved into a position in contact with the upper surface of the previously severed pad. This operation insures the separation of the pad from the punch, and upon;

the upward withdrawal. of the stripper head the pad remains in a position of rest between the op-- the retaining springs, the pad previously held by.

the springs drops freelyupon the strip of gauze.

Inasmuch as the strip of gauge is fedcontinuously beneath the cutting die, the strip with the pads spaced thereon at intervals is movedforwardly between a suitable folding device 45; as

shown in Figs. 1 and 6, whereby the edges of the" gauze are folded into overlapping relation over the pads, and the folded strip is subsequently severed between adjacent pads by a suitable cutting device to produce sanitary napkins in the form shown in Fig. 7. As will be understood, the-protruding ends of gauze 4! may then be folded into overlapping relation over the encased p'ads,.

same; whereby a-strip of gauze is fed continuously :in one direction;andabsorbent'pads are severed from a strip of absorbentmaterial fed intermittently: in a direction atright angles thereto, the invention is not intended to be limited in this manner. By the improvements herein disclosed. theabsorbent pads are severed'from a strip of absorbent material in a position in vertical alinement with the stripwof gauze, and, by the same operation of thevsevering'device, the pads are transferred toa position from which they are free to drop uponthe'strip of gauze. It is'not altogether. essential, thereforefthat the. strip of absorbent material be advanced in a direction trans verse-to the stripof gauze; The. invention may be practiced with other directions of movement of the strips of absorbert material and gauze with respect'to each. other, although it is essential that the pads be deposited on the .gauze lengthwise thereof. If the padsare severed from an absorbent strip moving in a direction other than the inventions disclosed herein will suggestjthem- Having; thus described the invention, what :I

desire to claim by LettersPatent is:

1.1111 the; art ofmaking sanitary napkins, the method which comprises continuously feeding a strip of gauze in a given direction, intermittently feeding a strip of absorbent material above the strip of gauze and in a direction transverse to the direction of feed thereof, intermittently severing the forward end of the strip of absorbent material vertically above the strip of gauze to provide elongated absorbent pads, transferring the pads in a vertical direction to a position of rest above the strip of gauze, and depositing the pads at spaced intervals lengthwise of the strip of gauze.

2. In the art of making sanitary napkins, the

method which comprises continuously feeding a strip of gauze in a given direction, intermittently feeding a strip of absorbent material above the strip of gauze and in a direction transverse to the direction of feed thereof, intermittently severing elongated absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material in a position above the strip of gauze and, by the same operation, transferring the absorbent pads in a vertical direction to a position of rest above the strip of gauze, and depositing the pads lengthwise upon the strip of gauze.

3. The method of making sanitary napkins which comprises continuously feeding a strip of gauze in a given direction, intermittently feeding a strip of absorbent material above the strip of gauze and in a direction transverse to the direction of feed thereof, intermittently severing the forward end of the strip of absorbent material vertically above the strip of gauze to provide absorbent pads, transferring the pads vertically to a position of rest above the strip of gauze, depositing the pads at intervals upon the strip of gauze, folding the edges of the strip of gauze into overlapping relation about the absorbent pads the scope of the ap-' deposited thereon, andsevering .the folded gauze between the absorbentpads I 1 4. In the art of making sanitary napkins,.the method which comprises continuously feeding a strip of.gauze, intermittently feeding a strip of absorbent material above the stripof gauze, intermittently severing elongated absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material in a position vertically above the strip of gauze, transferring the :pads individually in. a vertical'direction into aposition of rest lengthwise above the stripof gauze, and depositing'the pads at intervals upon the strip of gauze; I 1

5. In a machine forzr'naking sanitary napkins wherein a strip of absorbent material is intermittently fed in one direction and a strip o'figauze is continuously fed beneath the strip of absorbent material, mechanism'for severing absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material and depositing the same at intervalslengthwise of the strip of gauze comprising a stationary cutting die mounted beneath theforward' end of the strip of absorbent material and having an opening therethrough inalinement with the'strip ofgauze; a reciprocatory cutting punch mounted above the forward end of the strip of absorbent material for movement into andout of said cutting die'to sever a pad fromthe strip of absorbentmaterial and convey the same downwardlyinto said die, and stationary pad holding means for receiving a severed pad delivered thereto upon adownward movementof the cutting punch and for delivering the same to said strip of gauze uponthe subsequent downward movement of the cutting punch and the pad severed thereby; r 6. In a machine for makingsanitary napkins wherein a strip of absorbent material is "intermittently fed in one direction and a' strip of gauze is continuously fed in a direction transverse thereto beneath the strip of absorbent material, mechanism for severing absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material and depositing the same at intervals lengthwise of the strip of gauze ting punch and for delivering the same to said strip of gauze upon the subsequent downward movement of the cuting punch and the pad severed thereby.

7. In a machine for making sanitary napkins wherein a strip of absorbent material is intermittently fed in one direction and a strip of gauze is continuously fed in a direction transverse thereto beneath the strip of absorbent material, mechanism for severing absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material and, depositing the same at intervals lengthwise of the strip of gauze comprising a bed plate for supporting the strip of absorbent material and having a pad delivering opening therein between the forward end of the strip of absorbent material and the strip of gauze, a cutting die mounted in said opening, a reciprocatory cutting punch mounted for movement into and out of said cutting die to sever a pad from the strip of absorbent material and convey the same downwardly through said die, andmeans'for retaining 'asevered pad within said opening upon a downward movement of the cutting punch and for delivering the same to said: strip of gauze upon thersubsequent downward movement'of the cutting punch andithepad-severed thereby. 1

..8-'. In a machine for making sanitary napkins wherein a strip of absorbent material is intermittently fed in one direction and a strip of gauzev is continuously fed inv a direction: transversevthereto beneath the strip of absorbent material, mechanism for severing absorbent pads from the strip of absorbent material and depositing the same'at intervals lengthwise of the strip of gauze comp-rising a stationary cutting 'die mountedbetween thestrip of absorbentmaterial and the strip ofgauze, a reciprocatory cutting punch mounted above the strip of absorbent ma.- terial' for movement into and out of said cutting die to. sever a pad from the strip of absorbent material and convey the same downwardly through said 'die in alinement over said strip of gauze, and means mounted on said cutting punch and relatively movable with respect thereto to strip the severed pads from said punch.

; 9; 'Ina machine for making sanitary napkins wherein a strip of absorbent material is intermittently fed in one direction and a strip of gauze is continuously fed in a direction transverse thereto beneath-the strip of absorbent material; mechanism for severing absorbent pads from-the strip of absorbent material and depositing the same at; intervals lengthwise of the strip of gauze comprising a bed plate for supporting the strip of absorbent material and having a pad delivering; opening, therein between the forward end? of the strip of absorbent material and the to sever a pad from the strip of absorbentmaterial and convey the same downwardly through said die in alinement over-'saidstrip of gauze,

and means mounted. within said cutting punch and movable with respect thereto to strip the severed pads from the punch.v

10. In a machine for makingsanitary napkins wherein theforwardv end 'of an intermittently advanced strip of absorbent material is severed therefrom and transferred to a continuously fed strip of gauze, a pad severing and transferring device comprising a bed plate for'supportingthe strip of absorbent material for intermittent movement in a given direction, means for supporting the strip of gauze below the strip of ab= sorbent material for movement transversely of the direction of movement of the strip of absorbent material, said bed .plate having an elongated opening therethrough in alinement with the said strips, 2; cutting die mounted in the upper end of said opening, acutting. punch mounted for reciprocatory movement into and out of said die to sever an absorbent pad from the forward end of the strip of absorbent material and trans fer the same downwardly" into said opening, stripper means for releasing the pad from the cutting punch at thelower limit of the move ment thereof, and means for retaining the pad in position in the lower end of said opening and for delivering; the'same to said strip of gauze upon contact therewith of the subsequently severed pad during the next succeeding downward movement of the cutting punch.

AUGUST P. JURGENSEN. 

